An aerodrome or airdrome is a location from which aircraftflight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither. Aerodromes include small general aviation airfields, large commercialairports, and military airbases.
The term airport may imply a certain stature (having satisfied certain certification criteria or regulatory requirements) that an aerodrome may not have achieved. That is to say, all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. Usage of the term 'aerodrome' remains more common in the UK and Commonwealth nations, and is conversely almost unknown in American English.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) an aerodrome is "A defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations, and equipment) intended to be used either
wholly or in part for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft."<ref>International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Documents, Annex 14 to The Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), Volume I- Aerodrome Design and Operations under Definitions</ref>